Can one ever do too much? Can one ever do enough?
It’s
been a while since you heard from me here on the blog. Several weeks in fact,
at which time I had just taken my courage in both hands and sent my Regency novel to my agent, Lisa Eveleigh, for a ‘first look’. I had very positive feedback from Lisa but obviously there was still a lot to do. Her advice was invaluable
and I have spent the time since editing, re-editing then editing some more. I
am very fortunate in having beta readers whom I’ve known for a long time and
who have no hesitation in telling it like it is. This honesty is as important
as any other factor in producing the best finished article possible and they
don’t seem to mind reading it over and over again. At least, that’s what they
tell me. A week ago I came to the point where I felt I’d done as much as I
could and I set it aside. I will leave it to sit for another week or so before
going through it once more. Then it’ll go back to Lisa for track changes.
So what have I been doing for the past several days? Well, while my fingers have been idle my brain hasn’t. Somewhere in there the seed of
an idea for the next book has been formulating for some time. I don’t yet have
a fully established plot but my heroine has become very real to me. Physically
she is completely different from the last but we’re getting along very well and
I’m looking forward to knowing her better. My hero is much hazier – I haven’t
got to grips with him yet but he’s definitely there, building himself quietly
in the background.
Today I put pen to paper –
well, fingers to keyboard – and I’ve written the opening page. It’s only 405
words but it has a feel. This too will now be left for a few days, after which
time I will return to see if it works for me. The hardest thing has been getting out of Charlotte’s head and into Phoebe’s. I think I’ve done that now. Heaven
knows how confused I’ll be when Lisa gets back to me with those track changes
and I have to change heads again. Who’d be a writer? I can answer that one without
hesitation. I would.
